http://www.amazon.com/NFL-Confidential- ... 0062422413

The anonymous player in this book is David Molk

I think you'd be surprised how many people in pro sports don't really like the sports they play

Especially football. Can't imagine many like it.

hell, most of us cant stand to watch it, but we do anyway

BigEd76 wrote:http://www.amazon.com/NFL-Confidential-Confessions-Gutter-Football/dp/0062422413

The anonymous player in this book is David Molk

Is it official? I thought it was only speculation because some things didn't add up.

This was from Reddit. Looks like some of the stuff was tweaked by a year, and the Reddit guy thought Maclin was the diva when it's actually DeSean

I personally haven't read the book yet but clues from the book and epilogue are:
*He's a fourth year pro who became a starter in year 3 for an unspecified amount of time due to injury.
*He's 6'3", 279 lbs.
*He's a center, and he was cut in year two from his first team.
*He's White
*He plays on an NFL team where a diva WR (called Dante) got dropped for asking for too much money
*A starting offensive linesman got dropped too, because he was getting old. He decided to retire.
*Another starting offensive linesman wasn't dropped, is getting old and is still Pro Bowl-worthy.
*The NYTimes Review mentions he "was named one of the top linemen in the nation while in college, playing for a major football school."

At first I started going through all the starting NFL Centers in the league. I thought I had a good lead then I read another review that said the player was mostly a 3rd stringer. I stumbled upon this graph with Heights/Weights of NFL players. I noticed there aren't many offensive players between 270lbs-290lbs so I sifted through the few that were.

From this my top candidate became David Molk and here is why I think he is Johnny Anonymous:
*He's white and listed at 6'1", 290lbs
*He was drafted in 2012 by the San Diego Chargers.
*The Chargers cut him in the 2013 pre-season due to injury Source
*The Eagles sign him in 2014
*In Sept 2014 Eagles Starting Center Jason Kelce suffers a hernia and David Molk is named the starter
*Molk played at Michigan and won the Remington Trophy for being the nation's top Center in 2011
*Former Eagles' WR DeSean Jackson complained about his contract again and was released
*Eagles OL Wade Smith retired on 4/14/2015
*Former Eagles Pro-Bowl OL Evan Mathis was in a holdout and eventually released 2 months after Smith retired. (Plausible that this book was finished between April and June 2015 where Mathis hadn't been released yet)

Napalm wrote:hell, most of us cant stand to watch it, but we do anyway

I like watching the football bits... it's all the other shit that bothers me.

Very true in the NBA as well, especially with big men.

The length of the season is a major hassle and the physical beating these guys take - in all sports - is unreal.

The NFL salary construct is awful as well, Molk is 100% correct about that. They could double the salaries and its still undervalued considering the physical damage for the rest of their lives.

Eem wrote:I think you'd be surprised how many people in pro sports don't really like the sports they play

A lot of modern sports is just a variation on the Circus of Roman times. Gladiators, etc...

Pro Sports has become so embedded in our culture. It's such a big business with ties to so many other big businesses. And, in a culture that is also so much about celebrity - you tie together the celebrity aspects that also involve movie stars and music artists - with sports figures. From the TV packages, to the beer sales, to the merchandising --

Because there is so much focus on placing each player, game, season - in a larger historical context - it makes it difficult to have major rule changes and policy changes. With the athletes so better trained and starting from young ages in more serious ways - they are bigger faster stronger. So of course, in a sport like NFL that is about violence and impact and physically pounding each other - that the injuries are vast.

What is fair remuneration to be a modern day gladiator? I don't know. If you believe in our current structure of powerful corps and wealthy billionaire barons - then it's get what you can suckah because you work for a league that is in control. They offer you the chance. For a backup C like Molk - with a short 2-3 year career - maybe he didn't make enough to do more than live well for a couple years out of college. Maybe buy a house and a nice car and a few trinkets. But many of these guys do better than that and with some wisdom, can ride a 5 year NFL career in to financial security or a damn good head-start.

As well, I'd bet 50% or more of pro sports players who do well financially - without sports would not have gone to or completed college or even if they had, would not have ever reached a fraction of the riches.

It's a choice. It's a machine. You want the accolades and the celebrity benefits, and a chance to make serious money -- you take the risks.

In general, I don't care as much about records as I once did. There is this 24-7 machine for pro sports and it relies a lot on comparisons of players, teams, eras, history - records, numbers --

I feel like NBA and Hockey are winter sports - I'd cut down the seasons from 80+ to 60-ish games. I'd cut the playoffs from 16 teams to 12, with bye weeks for the top 4.

MLB - is a spring and summer sport. I'd cut it from 162 to 140-ish, if they go to 32 teams eventually - then as I've said before 4 8 Team Leagues - American, National, Liberty and Federal. 2nd and 3rd place teams have a 3 game playoff. Winner faces 1st place team in 5 game playoff. Then remaining 4 in a final four. Something like that. That way 12 teams make it but you get a bye for the top 4 league/pennant winners. Playoffs start just after Labor Day.

As for NFL. They want to go to 18 games but I think they are already too long. I'd drop back to 15 games. And lose the extra week between Title Games and SB. That would put the SB mid-late January not a week in to Feb. And playoffs could start around the holidays. I know we aren't going to go back to 12 games and Championship in December - but Feb 7th? C'mon. That's insane. Is the bye week really a good thing?

As for the pre-season - not sure. You need a few games to see what some guys can do and to have some real contact to ready for season, are 2-3 enough? They used to have 6!

NFL wants more. If they could figure out a way to be year-round they would. If I was them, I'd be working on a D-League concept that started in Feb or March after SB, that had a short 6 game season. 10 teams and they would all play in smaller markets - use real NFL refs, all the NFL rules exactly - and teams could designate up to X amount of players they have signed that are allowed to play - and then lots of FAs trying to show their wares -- marketed by NFL, games shown on NFL Network at least or maybe the Fox and CBS and NBC would want to get in on it? - and generate more money - something to keep people interested and have fantasy etc - in between FA draft and OTAs --

But they make too much money and aren't going to cut out any games, nor shorten the SB hysteria from 2 weeks to 1. THe D-League thing could fly though...

And MLB would not shorten either because then all their HOF stats and historical #'s stuff gets wonky. They don't care about shortening or a WS in November. How did guy in the 1800's and early 1900's pitch 50 games or more? I don't know - it's so long ago.

In general, I find that almost all the sports are over-saturated. Too many teams with no chance and too many teams in playoffs. And too many games so that too many don't matter. And - the players would make less if they played less games. They aren't going to go for it in the end. There are kinds of players too - super stars, guys who flirted with star and got big money anyway, and the rest -- so they don't all feel or look at it the same. Peyton Manning and David Molk aren't having the same experience. Is it worth it to Peyton to have 4 neck surgeries and bone fusion and risk whatever may come to have statues and busts and be a 100+millionaire? I guess so. Does M Jordan care if he has arthritic knees and needs a cane some day? Do Bonds and Clemens care if they have some issues later in life after MVPs and CY Youngs and being best of all times kind of guys in a sport that is all about records and history? (regardless of the HOF snubs?)



Anyway - if it is Molk I wonder if there is stuff in the book about Chip's locker room we want to know about ?

dude just took that job in december

Doll Is Mine wrote:

Jeff McLane ‏@Jeff_McLane
Doug Pederson said the #Eagles hired Chris Wilson of Missouri as DL coach.

trying to keep cox happy and around?

Weird that the eagles are putting out there that Bradford wants to be back but they're not sure if they want him.

CalvinBall wrote:dude just took that job in december

yup, was USC's DL coach the last two seasons. Also coached for Northern Illinois, Colorado, Oklahoma, Mississippi State (Cox) and Georgia

We also hired Joe D’Orazio away from Andy to assist GLew with WRs. He graduated from Penn in 2011

ReadingPhilly wrote:Weird that the eagles are putting out there that Bradford wants to be back but they're not sure if they want him.

have they? it's been mostly players putting that info out there when asked. Pederson also mentioned it in the PC right?, but it seems like he spoke out of turn and off Luries script.

BigEd76 wrote:

CalvinBall wrote:dude just took that job in december

yup, was USC's DL coach the last two seasons. Also coached for Northern Illinois, Colorado, Oklahoma, Mississippi State (Cox) and Georgia

We also hired Joe D’Orazio away from Andy to assist GLew with WRs. He graduated from Penn in 2011

So is it a good hire? Is this another case of not being able to get anyone they wanted for whatever reasons? I'm sure Schwartz is the key to this D now - but odd that we struggled to find a DL coach. Can a guy from college do well with Pros ? Was he with Cox ? That might be good --

Napalm wrote:

ReadingPhilly wrote:Weird that the eagles are putting out there that Bradford wants to be back but they're not sure if they want him.

have they? it's been mostly players putting that info out there when asked. Pederson also mentioned it in the PC right?, but it seems like he spoke out of turn and off Luries script.

Feels to me - like the main issue is $$ and length of contract. What's guaranteed.

I think at the right price, they absolutely want him back.

If Wentz is truly flying up the draft boards - then there is some chess going on with the teams who may or may not take a QB. It's almost a given that Browns will take Goff. But then who wants a QB before us? Niners do - unless they commit to Kaepernick. Good news there, is they have to cut him in early Arpil or be stuck with 13.5mil cap hit if they cut him later this year. So if Chip goes "Kaep/Gabbert" then unlikely with all their needs they go QB in 1st round.

Dall. Would they use 1st rounder w Romo old and oft broken down? Would they take a flyer on Johnny Football as the new backup for Romo - figure maybe he learns something under-studyhing from Romo and with that big line. But would they take Wentz or Lynch?

Who else?

How would Wentz feel if the Eagles just committed zillions to Bradford AND drafted him? That's like saying you are in an Aaron Rogers situation of waiting behind a starter for a while??

Obviously, if they really liked one of the QBs in the draft and had a strategy to get him - they could let Sam walk get a guy on his rookie deal and save a lot of money - but you gotta be

A) sure you got him
B) sure he's a player

I'm probably inflating Bradford now - but I feel like he might be ok?

Not sure if franchise is really an option for birds?

Napalm wrote:

ReadingPhilly wrote:Weird that the eagles are putting out there that Bradford wants to be back but they're not sure if they want him.

have they? it's been mostly players putting that info out there when asked. Pederson also mentioned it in the PC right?, but it seems like he spoke out of turn and off Luries script.

Bunch of stuff on twitter about Pederson and roseman being non-committal.

I take it more as posturing re: contract than non-committal regarding wanting him back. Pederson has been pretty supportive of a Bradford return from all I've read.